1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a readily collapsible road barrier which is light weight in construction and easily assembled adjacent a road surface or any area in which a barrier is desirable. The collapsible road barrier includes a universally collapsible bunk material positioned adjacent the lower portion of the supporting legs which is designed to receive material such as ballast to enhance the stability of the collapsible road barrier.
2. Prior Art
It is conventional to provide a barrier between the portion of a road under construction and the portion of the road which is still suitable for traffic. The type of barrier which is normally used consists of railroad ties which form the base of the barrier and wooden fencing which projects upwardly therefrom. If an individual traveling on the serviceable portion of the road viers into this type of railroad tie road barrier, the vehicle in which he is traveling is normally subjected to severe damage. This damage is directly attributable to the impact of the car against the heavy weight of the railroad tie road barrier.
Another type of road barrrier is constructed of concrete and is substantially prismatic in shape. These concrete road barriers come in lengths of approximately 6 feet and are positioned end-to-end. This type of concrete road barrier possesses the same disadvantages as presented with the railroad tie road barrier discussed above.
Still another type of road barrier is the conventional sawhorse road barrier usually used in combination with at least one sand bag. This type of sawhorse road barrier usually includes a radiant surface and a cross-piece positioned adjacent the lower end of the supporting legs. Normally when using this type of road barrier, a sand bag is positioned over the cross-piece to add additional stability to the sawhorse road barrier. While this type of road barrier overcomes the disadvantages as mentioned above, it adds the additional disadvantage in that the sand bag is difficult to transport and is subject to breaking thus rendering it ineffective.
One prior art patent which is not directed to the same subject matter, but which does disclose some basic similarities to the structure set forth in the present application, is the Spikings patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,573,740. Spikings patent discloses a carpenter's horse or trestle which includes a folding shelf or tray positioned approximately half way down the supporting legs of the horse. As stated in the Spikings patent, this shelf or tray is designed to hold tools or other articles when the trestle is in the opened upright position. The present invention distinguishes from the Spikings patent in that the present invention is directed to a collapsible road barrier with a universally collapsible bunk position adjacent the lower end of the supporting legs. This universally collapsible bunk is designed to hold material such as ballast adjacent the surface on which the supporting legs are in contact. It is the intent of the present application to provide a road barrier with a low center of gravity to prevent tipping of the barrier when the bunk is filled with ballast. The Spikings patent would not be suitable for use as a road barrier since the tray or shelf does not provide the trestle with a low center of gravity.